Property owner Richard McDonough reported on July 2 that several trees and shrubs had been cut down and piled in a restricted part of the quarry, which is restricted due to dangerous heights. It was the second time such vandalism was reported.

Sweetman was caught cutting down additional brush and trees at the quarry this week, which is what prompted his arrest. He was charged with unlawful mischief and was cited to appear in court on Sept. 22 at 8:15 p.m.

According to the police report, McDonough believed several people were involved and it happened within the few days prior. In an interview, he said there are a number of people in the quarry at any given time and more people had to have seen who was responsible.

"I was quite concerned about the extensive cutting that was going on down there, as well as that nobody had reported what was going on," McDonough said.

The "thousands of dollars" worth of resulting clean-up and plant restoration would be at McDonough's expense, who currently keeps the quarry open for public swim.

McDonough said the most recent acts have not pushed him into any further consideration to close the quarry to the public. He plans to keep it open to everyone. "I certainly hope this (arrest) serves as a deterrent to any more vandalism," he said.

The Vermont State Police are continuing to investigate the incident and any others who might have been involved. Anyone with information has been encouraged to contact the state police at 802-442-5421, or anonymously online at www.vtips.info.

There are a few individuals who help McDonough maintain the quarry by picking up trash and watching for negligence or recklessness. They call themselves the Friends of the Dorset Quarry. Find them on Facebook.

Contact Tom Momberg at tmomberg@benningtonbanner.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomMomberg.

TALK TO US

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please
email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by
filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.

MANCHESTER — Philip Gilpin Jr. is thinking big, and his vision could open new opportunities for Manchester to market itself as an arts and culture destination.
The executive director of the International Television and Film Festival, …